The Giants Covehttp://thegiantscove.com
A San Francisco Giants BlogMon, 30 Mar 2015 16:15:41 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1SF Giants “Playing Pepper” 2015http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/sf-giants-playing-pepper-2015.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sf-giants-playing-pepper-2015
http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/sf-giants-playing-pepper-2015.html#commentsThu, 26 Mar 2015 20:50:54 +0000http://thegiantscove.com/?p=2118The esteemed Daniel Shoptaw wears a number of hats, all of them St. Louis Cardinals red. Daniel is the creator and managing author of C70 At the Bat, a fantastic St. Louis Cardinals blog. And he is also part of the Cardinals Conclave, a group of like-minded bloggers who talk Cardinals baseball and much more, […]]]>

The esteemed Daniel Shoptaw wears a number of hats, all of them St. Louis Cardinals red.

Daniel is the creator and managing author of C70 At the Bat, a fantastic St. Louis Cardinals blog. And he is also part of the Cardinals Conclave, a group of like-minded bloggers who talk Cardinals baseball and much more, 24-7.

Each year on the C70, Daniel features an insightful series called “Playing Pepper”, wherein a number of specific team bloggers answer his probing questions about their teams. Just published is the 2015 San Francisco Giants entry of “Playing Pepper”.

Three Giants bloggers are featured:

Craig of “THE San Francisco Giants Blog”. Craig’s blog is a must not only if you’re a Giant’s fan but also if you enjoy discussing the Bay Area’s other professional teams.

Kevin J. Cunningham of “The Lunatic Fringe” . Be sure to check out Kevin’s great site to see his talented strip work with artist Rog Hernandez as well as his colorful band of dedicated Giant fans.

And, of course, The Giants Cove.

Be aware that in this particular article I will not be discussing the origins of that nasty stench the neighbors claim is coming from the basement of my house. I have several attorneys researching the statute of limitations on a certain penal code violation, so I have to wait for that.

The written exam will be held next Wednesday in the parking lot behind the Bakersfield 7-11, just off the I-5.

]]>http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/sf-giants-playing-pepper-2015.html/feed1Question: Do Spring Training Records Matter? Well… Yes and Nohttp://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/question-do-spring-training-records-matter-well-yes-and-no.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=question-do-spring-training-records-matter-well-yes-and-no
http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/question-do-spring-training-records-matter-well-yes-and-no.html#commentsMon, 23 Mar 2015 22:18:29 +0000http://thegiantscove.com/?p=2098The true meaning of pre-season baseball in Florida and Arizona is difficult to assess. It’s kind of like trying to figure out if Nicolas Cage’s next film is going to be bad, or historically bad.

The short answer is that MLB Spring Training games and their results matter a great deal on some levels and don’t mean a thing on a number of other levels.

And a team’s final record can show positive or false-positive information about where that team is headed over a long 162 game season.

In the same way “wins” and “losses” aren’t relevant measures of a starting pitcher’s performance, Spring Training “wins” and “losses” are not accurate gauges of whether a Major League team is having a good Spring or a poor one.

But they can be.

With 21 of their scheduled 35 Spring Training games in the books (as of Sunday March 22nd), the San Francisco Giants’ 5-15 record is the worst in baseball. But there are 14 games left on the Spring schedule, games that will increasingly be played by the 25 regulars picked to start the official 2015 campaign.

So the “when” in Spring Training can be a lot more meaningful than the “wins”. The final third of pre-season is when pitchers find their grooves and hitters get their timing down. Just in time for Opening Day.

For the Giants, the record is reflecting something much more troubling than meaningless team wins or losses– the ability to score runs.

The Giants lead all teams this Spring in minus run differential: -46 (Atlanta is next up at -27). To contrast, the Oakland A’s are +20 and the Los Angeles Dodgers are at +35.

The runs per game average in the 278 Cactus League games played through March 22nd is 5.34, The Giants are scoring 4.09 runs per game., and the Dodgers are scoring 7.81 runs per game.

Keep in mind that the following excuse does not apply: Hey, this is Spring Training, a lot of young, untested players are taking at-bats who won’t be on the 25 man roster. Of course. And that applies to every team, including the Dodgers, the A’s and all the other teams who are actually scoring runs and winning.

Which brings up another ominous item for the Giants: teams are performing well in Spring Training with talented young minor league players who aren’t quite ready to make the jump to the big league roster this April. That’s a promising preview of what their fans can look forward to in April 2016 or April 2017.

Unlike the Giants.

Twenty-three year old Chicago Cubs minor league star third baseman Kris Bryant leads all MLB players this Spring with 8 home runs and 14 RBI. There are dozens of other rookie hitters and pitchers in Florida and Arizona who are giving their fans an exciting preview of what’s to come over the next several seasons.

And the Giants?

Well, there’s Justin Maxwell. The 31 year old journeyman is the player the Giants front office picked this Spring to hype to the fans as the latest “every other team missed this guy, but he’s gonna be awesome for the Giants” PR blitz. The good news is Maxwell is hitting .250 in Spring Training– that’s 26 points above his MLB lifetime .224 BA.

Maxwell is this year’s Brandon Hicks. Oh, and the team also has Brandon Hicks. Again.

Hicks, 27, brought his MLB lifetime .153 BA, .568 OPS, and .258 OBP back to Spring Training camp in 2015. Hopefully this year the Giants broadcasters won’t refer to Hicks as a “gold glove” second baseman like they did last season (though I have to admit that Hicks’ lack of range certainly keeps his error count down).

Also in camp this Spring are John Bowker, 31 (lifetime .664 OPS, .283 OBP) and Travis Ishikawa, 31 (and his 7 year lifetime .259 BA). Apparently, if you are 31 years old and don’t cost the Giants very much to sign, you qualify for a Spring Training roster spot.

San Francisco’s worst Spring Training over the past ten years was in 2008, Manager Bruce Bochy‘s second year as the Giants’ skipper. They posted a 9-23 record in Arizona and then went 72-90 in the regular season to finish in 4th place in the NL West, 12 games behind the Division winning Dodgers.

Maybe a good way to look at Spring Training is that it’s simply a test of how quickly and how well the 25 guys who will start the season get into regular season focus. And it’s also a look at the quality of the young players coming up through each team’s farm system.

So what about the importance of a team’s final Spring win-loss record? If the Giants go 12-23 this Spring, then start the regular season by going 23-12, no one will remember anything about Spring Training 2015. Thankfully.

]]>http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/question-do-spring-training-records-matter-well-yes-and-no.html/feed1Giants Title Defense Starts in Phoenix With Just $14 Ticketshttp://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/giants-title-defense-starts-in-phoenix-with-just-14-tickets.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=giants-title-defense-starts-in-phoenix-with-just-14-tickets
http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/giants-title-defense-starts-in-phoenix-with-just-14-tickets.html#commentsFri, 20 Mar 2015 17:45:05 +0000http://thegiantscove.com/?p=2093The San Francisco Giants have turned into a bit of a dynasty. With three World Series titles since 2010, the Giants are one of the top powerhouse teams in all of baseball and could very well contend for yet another title in 2015. Not bad for a team that hadn’t won it all since 1954, […]]]>

The San Francisco Giants have turned into a bit of a dynasty. With three World Series titles since 2010, the Giants are one of the top powerhouse teams in all of baseball and could very well contend for yet another title in 2015. Not bad for a team that hadn’t won it all since 1954, huh?

Despite going 88-74 a year ago, the Giants were still mild surprises to win it all, and finished second in the NL West behind the mighty L.A. Dodgers. The Giants were crowned the champs once again in the end, though, so as long as they simply make the playoffs, San Francisco fans will be fairly confident in their ability to make another strong run. Thanks to a top-15 offense and a top-10 defense, there’s little reason to suspect otherwise as the Giants approach the new year.

That top-10 defense is once again anchored by the unflappable Madison Bumgarner, with easily one of the strongest pitching rotations in all of baseball behind him. The fact that Tim Lincecum continues to be basically a throw-in should tell you all you need to know – the Giants are deep and they’re very, very good.

Fans have undoubtedly gotten a little spoiled in San Francisco these days, but that won’t stop the Giants from being a team to be reckoned with yet again. Big hitter Pablo Sandoval is gone, but the Giants are otherwise the same team we saw take down the Kansas City Royals on the biggest stage a year ago. That makes them strong contenders to take over the NL West again, as well as make another deep playoff run.

Their bid to continue their modern day dynasty starts on April 6th, when they head to Chase Field to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks on Opening Day. SF Giants tickets are oddly available at a solid discount to get the season rolling, as fans can get in for just $106.65 on average (just $14 for the cheap seats). That’s a nice drop from San Francisco’s season average ($112.48) while Diamondbacks tickets see a mild spike from their $103.36 season average.

The Giants get the championship treatment to get the season going, as their opening series should be a win one way or another, thanks to Arizona being the worst team in Major League Baseball a year ago. We won’t learn much based off of the thrashing they’ll surely hand out to the D’Backs, other than confirmation that they’re still a dominant team on both sides that can chase another title. Provided they stay healthy and can play up to their new standards, that’s exactly what the Giants should do in 2015.

]]>http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/giants-title-defense-starts-in-phoenix-with-just-14-tickets.html/feed0Three Emerging Teams Could Rock the National League in 2015http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/three-emerging-teams-could-rock-the-national-league-in-2015.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=three-emerging-teams-could-rock-the-national-league-in-2015
http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/three-emerging-teams-could-rock-the-national-league-in-2015.html#commentsFri, 13 Mar 2015 21:16:58 +0000http://thegiantscove.com/?p=2060Three National League teams made bold moves to climb up the MLB food chain this off-season, and it will be fascinating to see if any of them will be seated at baseball’s postseason buffet in mid-October.

The Miami Marlins, the San Diego Padres, and the Chicago Cubs spent money and prospects to retool, to add critically needed pieces, and to otherwise proactively declare their relevance in the race for an NL playoff spot.

To understand just what the Cubs, Pads, and Fish might be able to do this year, let’s get realpolitik here and acknowledge several expected outcomes.

The following NL Division winners are being predicted by analysts, fans, and many household pets: the Washington Nationals will take the NL East title, the St. Louis Cardinals easily grab the NL Central title, and the Los Angeles Dodgers cruise into the NL West title.

Still with me? Fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Francisco Giants, the Milwaukee Brewers, and the New York Mets need to put their weapons down and slowly exit the building while still showing their hands.

There are scenarios that put these teams into the postseason, but they involve several hundred gerbils and thirty gallons of canola oil.

Meanwhile, the National League East could turn into an absolute meatgrinder if the successfully retooled Marlins and the Mets’ awesome young starting staff both show up on Opening Day hungry and in no mood for lengthy explanations.

That would mean the Atlanta Braves, and especially the lowly Philadelphia Phillies, could be leftovers way before we hit the All Star break (in fact, both of those teams might want to seriously think about moving their September seat discount promotions up to late April).

Add run-producing third baseman Martin Prado, the addition of former Red’s starter Mat Latos, and the expected return of super starter Jose Fernandez, and the Marlins look to be loaded and ready. Even if the Nationals are in their way.

On another front, our bold projections show that the San Diego Padres will score runs this season– a lot of runs.

San Diego already has a solid bullpen (last season #2 in the Majors with a 2.73 ERA) and three solid starters in Tyson Ross (31 starts, 195 SO in 195.2 IP, 2.81 ERA), Ian Kennedy (33 starts, 207 SO in 201 IP), and Andrew Cashner (19 starts 1.13 WHIP).

But the big news in San Diego is that actual run scoring has been reintroduced into the team’s plans for 2015. Three different trades brought LA’s Matt Kemp, Tampa Bay’s Wil Myers, and Braves slugger Justin Upton into the Pads’ everyday line-up.

Up in Chicago’s North Side, the Cubs have two of the most exciting and talented prospects in the game– Kris Bryant and Jorge Soler. Bryant should be the starting third baseman for the 2015 Cubs and Soler will likely grab the right field starting job.

Bryant and Soler are game-changing impact players at the plate and in the field, and they are the foundation of the Chicago Cubs’ future.

Oh, and let’s not forget the Cubs also signed free agent ace Jon Lester to start every five days.

It will be fascinating to see exactly where the Cubs, Marlins and Padres go this season. MLB analysts seem to be split on whether or not the Cubs are quite there yet, with the idea that reaching .500 this year would be a big leap for a team that went 73-89 the previous season.

But Baseball Prospectus’ Pecota projections put the Cubs 2015 record at 84-78 and sees them grabbing a Wild Card slot.

If Chicago ends up winning 84-88 games this year, that would mean Kris Bryant made a huge impact in his rookie big league season. Having said that, I’m guessing the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers may have other projections in mind.

Pecota is all in on the Padres, predicting an 85-77 outcome and picking them to take the other Wild Card slot. That’s another great leap for a team that went 77-85 last year. But factor in that San Diego kept its outstanding pitching intact, added Shields to it, and re-tooled their 2014 last-in-the-Majors offense and Pecota may have a point.

Despite having a dormant and unproductive off-season, the San Francisco Giants still have that been-there-done-that vibe that only winning a Series Championship can bring. Unfortunately, their ability to add a couple of pieces before the July trade deadline seems like putting a band-aid on a flat tire. But we shall see.

Of the three teams, the Miami Marlins seem to have the best balance, and despite being in the same division as the Washington Nationals, might just fight their way to being the fourth best team in the National League. San Diego has the best pitching and Chicago has the biggest X-factors with Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, and Jon Lester.

Which strengths will play? And which of these three emerging teams will rock the NL in 2015, or just miss the bus… ?

]]>http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/three-emerging-teams-could-rock-the-national-league-in-2015.html/feed0Pence Injury Pushes Giants Farther Back in the 2015 Packhttp://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/pence-injury-pushes-giants-farther-back-in-the-2015-pack.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pence-injury-pushes-giants-farther-back-in-the-2015-pack
http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/pence-injury-pushes-giants-farther-back-in-the-2015-pack.html#commentsFri, 06 Mar 2015 22:15:03 +0000http://thegiantscove.com/?p=2017Looking at many of the recent 2015 top team projections and power rankings from MLB writers and analysts, it’s striking (and surprising) how many of them put the Giants tantalizingly close to actually contending. FanGraphs listed the Giants as the 16th best MLB team for 2015 (but there were a number of teams tied on […]]]>

Looking at many of the recent 2015 top team projections and power rankings from MLB writers and analysts, it’s striking (and surprising) how many of them put the Giants tantalizingly close to actually contending.

FanGraphs listed the Giants as the 16th best MLB team for 2015 (but there were a number of teams tied on the list, so they’re actually closer). FanGraphs projected an 82-80 season this year with six NL teams ahead of San Francisco.

As we know, only five NL teams will play in the 2015 post season.

Matt Snyder of CBSSports.com ranked the Giants 10th in his MLB “pre-preseason” power rankings, with four NL teams ahead of them. He noted that he might have rated them higher than they should be but after last season…

Baseball Prospectus projected an 83-80 season for San Francisco, the #6 best National League team.

But those projections all took at hit when Giants right fielder Hunter Pence suffered a left forearm fracture during a recent Spring Training game against the Chicago Cubs.

For San Francisco it’s not just that one of their top run producing hitters will be out for two-plus months; the real problem is the team’s utter lack of depth throughout the 40 man roster. Add to that ownership’s reticence to spend a dime more than they can get away with, and the Pence injury hurts much more than it should a championship franchise.

Each season, every team (including every contending team) will have injuries to key players– that’s a predictable part of the game. It’s why top teams don’t merely have four or five run producing hitters in their line-up, they have seven or eight.

And their Major League bench isn’t just stocked with several “extra” players, it’s stocked with professional hitters who can make quality contributions for several days, several weeks, or even several months.

While it’s always disappointing to see players like Hunter Pence go down, the real disappointment is the Giants looking around after the injury, then announcing that Gregor Blanco or Juan Perez will fill in.

But if you trade for a starting player, what do you do when Pence returns?

Well, that would mean that the Giants’ under-performing bench will all of a sudden get better for the rest of the season. Also the team would have a competent-hitting back-up when the next outfielder goes down.

And, please, none of that 1970s Brian Sabean old school fluff about how teams shouldn’t make deals within their own division.

For those paying attention, the dynamic young general managers infusing the Major Leagues these days don’t allow prehistoric superstitions to limit their ability to improve their teams whenever and wherever they can. The deals between the Dodgers and the Padres this off-season demonstrate how silly that made up “rule” has been.

Well, what about Justin Maxwell, you ask? Isn’t he the latest “find” by the San Francisco Giants who will take the National League by surprise and become a hitting star?

Maxwell is that guy the Giants front office trots out every Spring Training like clockwork, with the same canned PR, and the same empty hype. Here’s the guy everybody else missed but now that we have him, he’s really going to be awesome: Justin Maxwell in 2015/Brandon Hicks in 2014/Brett Pill in 2013/Aubrey Huff in 2012/Orlando Cabrera in 2011, and on and on.

We inevitably hear the following: everyone else in baseball somehow missed how awesome this player is, and this guy has a good chance to get back to [fill in a date five years prior] when he hit 20 home runs [or did something else he hasn’t done in four years].

Who exactly are these players? They’re inexpensive, and they’re either over the hill or never really developed beyond the minors. The San Francisco Giants will be Justin Maxwell’s fifth organization in seven years. He’s 31 years old.

But, for some strange reason, many Giant fans gladly eat up this pre-made stew every March and get excited by yet another mediocre player who has cost the team next to nothing.

So it all comes down to one harsh reality: because the Giants’ line-up is made up of three or four quality hitters, when one of those players is out of the batting order for any significant period of time the team will suffer.

But let’s hope Hunter Pence heals well and quickly. With Pablo Sandoval gone, Pence becomes an even larger part of the soul and heart of this team and he will be missed.

Add to that the hope that Angel Pagan is healthy for the entire season and it’s possible the Giants could just work their way back up the projection charts by mid-season.

Recently sworn in Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred has proposed six new rule changes for Major League Baseball geared to increase game action and decrease overall game times.

Last season the average baseball game took three hours and two minutes but felt, said Manfred “like five hours of pain, kind of like going to an all-metal concert without drugs”.

The average time to play a ballgame in the 1935 season was 46 minutes, and that included time between innings for fans to throw bottles at the umpires.

In the early 1920s, the average baseball game was played in just 23 minutes, with many fans asked to leave the stadiums shortly after taking their seats.

Here are Commissioner Manfred’s proposed rule changes for the 2015 baseball season, which a feisty Manfred made clear “will not be reviewed by the Players Union, the Umpires Union, or God Almighty Himself.”

1. Pitchers may now begin their windups just as the batter is leaving the on-deck circle. “What do you think?”, laughed Manfred, “think those batters won’t hustle over to the batter’s box now?”

2. Effective immediately, only club mascots will be allowed to call for instant replays from the umpires.

In the past, managers came out of the dugout to request a replay, causing the game to come to a complete halt.

Commissioner Manfred noted that “the mascots are on top of the dugouts and actually have the best view of plays on the field. And it’s easier to see when they wave their over-sized arms.”

3. The first inning of every game will now begin 30 minutes before the announced game time. “Not only will this shorten game times”, stated Manfred, “but all that boring and unnecessary National Anthem and throwing out the first pitch crap will be totally eliminated.”

4. The Commissioner has ordered second baseman Nick Punto to sit out the entire 2015 MLB season.

“I like Nick,” said Commissioner Manfred, “but as he’s grown older he’s become much slower both on the field and in the clubhouse. It’s time for the game to move on, which means it’s time for Nick Punto to move the hell on.”

5. The traditional “7th inning stretch” will be restructured.

Fans will be allowed to stretch their legs and arms from a sitting position, eliminating the time it takes to actually stand up. Newly hired private security ushers will “vigorously” enforce the new rule.

Also the Commissioner is coming down hard on fans singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”. “We have a recent Tony Bennett recording of the song which is much shorter and will be played on the PA systems of every stadium in the 7th inning of every game”, declared Manfred.

“Actually it’s a recording of Tony last season in Yankee Stadium during which he left out every third word, but this will now shave an additional 45 seconds off of game times.”

6. Elimination of the 4th inning. “Can anyone tell me anything that’s ever happened in the 4th inning of any baseball game that was even remotely noteworthy?”, queried Manfred. “No? I didn’t think so.”

Starting on Opening Day, games will go from the 3rd inning directly to the 5th inning. “This goes a long way to accomplishing our goal to get to the 9th inning quicker”, beamed Commissioner Manfred at a recent news conference.

Next week Commissioner Rob Manfred will unveil his new plan to drastically cut back on the number of restrooms at all MLB parks.

“This constant getting up and sitting down isn’t good for the game”, said Manfred. “Our new private security ushers will put a stop to all that.”

]]>http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/new-baseball-commissioner-implements-bold-rule-changes-in-2015-to-speed-up-the-game.html/feed0Better Sit Down: A Brief Study of the Business of Giants Baseballhttp://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/a-study-in-the-business-of-giants-baseball.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=a-study-in-the-business-of-giants-baseball
http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/a-study-in-the-business-of-giants-baseball.html#commentsSun, 15 Feb 2015 06:27:43 +0000http://thegiantscove.com/?p=1941So far in 2015, the San Francisco Giants are following their 2014 payroll blueprint. Sign low-end, inexpensive marginal players, then cross your fingers and hope something accidentally happens. And why not? Last season, San Francisco squeaked into the postseason as the #10 team out of ten qualifiers, then proceeded to move through three playoff levels […]]]>

So far in 2015, the San Francisco Giants are following their 2014 payroll blueprint. Sign low-end, inexpensive marginal players, then cross your fingers and hope something accidentally happens.

And why not? Last season, San Francisco squeaked into the postseason as the #10 team out of ten qualifiers, then proceeded to move through three playoff levels to reach the World Series. Which they won in the seventh game by one run.

As World Champions, you might think that the wealthiest franchise ownership in the Major Leagues would at least consider solving their top roster issues with quality players, improving their dismal minor league system, and moving up as one of the top three payrolls in baseball, but you would be wrong.

Why spend the money to have top notch 25 and 40 man rosters when all your fan base wants is to continue bonding with players from 2010 and 2012? And despite the fact that San Francisco’s ownership group has more money than the Dodger and Yankee ownerships put together, many Giants fans have been tutored to obediently be happy when their team doesn’t spend money.

But something is starting to smell. This winter a number of quality, difference-making players passed on joining the World Champions (Pablo Sandoval, Jon Lester, Chase Headley, and the list goes on)– even when they were offered more money.

And any Giants fan who follows baseball outside of the happy-pap fed to them by the local sports media might have noticed something odd this off season. On the MLB Network, on ESPN, and in the top online sports media, there was very little discussion about the Giants. About what San Francisco accomplished last season, about what they’ve done this off-season, and about where they’re headed after the Opening Day bell goes off.

Why is that?

You can sense the lack of respect and interest in a team that was mediocre over the majority of the 2014 season, managed to just get in the back door of the the playoffs, and then got lucky.

National sports journalists, analysts, and broadcasters aren’t particularly excited by that listless formula, and they are even less excited to see the Giants doing the exact same thing again in 2015.

Giants ownership continues to spend less of their money on fielding a quality baseball team, and more of their energy and money in efforts to manage and control their fan base. And, by the way, give the Giants credit for creating a winning and highly profitable business model.

The astounding thing is, this wildly wealthy team still tries to give the appearance of being a small/mid-market franchise, pretending that it has a strict player personnel budget each year, and simply can’t afford to keep up with, say, the Dodgers or the Yankees.

It’s all totally false, but give credit to the Giants front office PR machine that their fans religiously believe it and repeat it.

And of course I’m not advocating for the San Francisco Giants to start spending frivolously, or to sign big price-tag players just because they can.

New front office management on teams like the Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and San Diego Padres are demonstrating how to spend serious money, but how to spend it wisely.

So let’s do that rare task that too many Giants fans increasingly don’t take the time to do: conduct some actual research. The following is from the brilliant staff at Forbes.com (2013 and 2014 Forbes.com “The Business of Baseball” financial reports):

1. The San Francisco Giants have the 4th richest professional sports ownership in America.
Let that fact sink in for just a minute. Not the 4th richest ownership in Major League Baseball– the 4th richest in all of pro sports! Which includes the NFL and the NBA.

Let’s take a peek at the top four richest owners of all of America’s pro sports teams:#1. Paul Allen, $15.8 billion – owner of the NFL Seattle Seahawks and the NBA Portland Trailblazers.#2. Richard DeVos, $6.8 billion – owner of the NBA Orlando Magic.#3. Micky Arison, $5.9 billion – owner of the NBA Miami Heat.#4. Charles Johnson, $5.6 billion – principal owner of the San Francisco Giants.
And keep in mind that Charles Johnson leads a Giants ownership group that also includes some 30 additional multimillionaire co-owners. This group could buy and sell the Dodgers and Yankees in one afternoon.

2. The San Francisco Giants have the 5th most valuable team in Major League Baseball.
It’s one thing to have the richest ownership in all of baseball, but the Giants also have the 5th most valuable team franchise in all of the Major Leagues.#1. New York Yankees – $2.5 billion.#2. Los Angeles Dodgers – $2 billion.#3. Boston Red Sox – $1.5 billion.#4. Chicago Cubs – $1.2 billion.#5. San Francisco Giants – $1 billion.
The only reason the Yankees and Boston are ahead of the Giants is that they own their own television networks which have exclusive rights over all their game broadcasts (and do a host of other broadcasting). And the Dodgers just cut the biggest local sports TV contract in history.

The Giants own a percentage of their radio network (KNBR) and also own part of Comcast Bay Area, which carries most of their TV games. Also, Boston, Chicago, the Dodgers, and the Giants own their baseball stadiums.

3. The San Francisco Giants were 3rd among all 30 MLB teams in total team revenue.#1 New York Yankees – $461 million.#2. Boston Red Sox with $357 million.
Again, it pays to have your own baseball TV networks.#3. San Francisco Giants – $316 million.

So can we finally stop the farce of pretending there are “small market” and “large market” teams in Major League Baseball? The San Diego Padres were 19th out of 30 MLB teams in total revenue with $207 million.

Every team gets hundreds of millions from Major League Baseball from national TV and radio contracts, revenue-sharing, and luxury tax penalties. Then each team gets millions more from local TV and radio contracts (the Texas Rangers alone have a $125 million local TV contract).

Only after that can you start to factor in the rest of the money:> selling stadium seats for home games (most fans think selling stadium seats is a team’s biggest source of team revenue. It’s actually more like 8th on the list of revenue-generating sources);> getting a cut from every road game;> branding and merchandize sales (jerseys, caps, etc.);> home game concessions, parking, non-baseball events;> and for the ten teams who make the playoffs each year, add the additional TV, radio, and stadium revenue.

There haven’t been any “small market” teams in baseball for almost ten years. If you own a Major League baseball team, and just accidentally open the front gates in April, you automatically receive hundreds of millions of dollars.

Over the past ten years, the San Francisco Giants have been a money-making machine like few professional sports franchises in the United States. All the while, the organization has masterfully led their fan-base to embrace baseball on the cheap, and have created several championships without having to build a championship organization.

And, for some odd reason, it makes many Giants fans as deliriously happy as a curly-tailed mammal in a pile of excrement.

]]>http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/a-study-in-the-business-of-giants-baseball.html/feed0Spring Training in Scottsdale a chance to see defending champs start 2015 campaignhttp://thegiantscove.com/uncategorized/spring-training-in-scottsdale-a-chance-to-see-defending-champs-start-2015-campaign.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=spring-training-in-scottsdale-a-chance-to-see-defending-champs-start-2015-campaign
http://thegiantscove.com/uncategorized/spring-training-in-scottsdale-a-chance-to-see-defending-champs-start-2015-campaign.html#commentsTue, 10 Feb 2015 16:19:05 +0000http://thegiantscove.com/?p=1936The San Francisco Giants are in the midst of a modern day baseball dynasty, winning their third World Series title in five years in 2014. In a thrilling seven-game series with the Kansas City Royals, World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner had an historic effort on the mound to cement himself and his team in the history books.

The Giants bring back a very similar roster to 2014, but with the heart and soul of the offense missing, losing Pablo Sandoval to the Boston Red Sox through free agency. Sandoval won three World Series with the Giants and was the World Series MVP in 2012. He will be missed, but the Giants are built around pitching and defense, a strategy that has proven to work given their recent track record.

You can see the defending World Series champions begin their championship defense at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Arizona for Spring Training. According to TiqIQ.com, the lowest average ticket price is $34, when the San Francisco Giants face the Cleveland Indians on April 1st. There is one other average ticket price below $40, when the Giants take on the Colorado Rockies on March 31st for $38.

The highest average ticket price is when their in-state rival comes to Scottsdale Stadium. On March 7th, the San Diego Padres face the San Francisco Giants for an average ticket price of $116.

The San Francisco title defense begins in Arizona and very well may end at the mound in the World Series. Go out and see the Giants start their journey towards an unprecedented fourth World Series title in six seasons.

]]>http://thegiantscove.com/uncategorized/spring-training-in-scottsdale-a-chance-to-see-defending-champs-start-2015-campaign.html/feed0Six Middle of the Grid AL Moves that Could Play Big in 2015http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/six-middle-of-the-grid-al-moves-that-could-play-big-in-2015.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=six-middle-of-the-grid-al-moves-that-could-play-big-in-2015
http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/six-middle-of-the-grid-al-moves-that-could-play-big-in-2015.html#commentsFri, 23 Jan 2015 19:10:20 +0000http://thegiantscove.com/?p=1906As I wrote in the National League installment of this subject, there are no secret moves or below the radar player pick-ups in Major League Baseball any more. The media swarm is such that if the fifth starter in Double A Flushbucket, Louisiana throws a no-hitter we’re all going to know about it. So while […]]]>

timothyraines.com MLB Foundation

As I wrote in the National League installment of this subject, there are no secret moves or below the radar player pick-ups in Major League Baseball any more. The media swarm is such that if the fifth starter in Double A Flushbucket, Louisiana throws a no-hitter we’re all going to know about it.

So while there are no player pick-up secrets in the game, there are a number of mid-range trades and signings that make a significant impact on every MLB season. It’s a player acquisition category that can almost always be found in the “smart move” preseason file, no matter how they turn out.

Here are six mid-grid off-season moves in the American League that could have a big impact:

1. Zach Duke / LH relief pitcher – signed as a free agent by the Chicago White Sox for three years at $15 million on 11/18/14.

The 2014 Chicago White Sox bullpen was epic in its ability to lose leads, to “let go” instead of “hold”, to blow saves and find numerous ways to bring down a Sox team that otherwise might have contended. They were 28th out of 30 MLB bullpens with a 4.38 ERA and 21 blown saves, leading the Majors in losses (32) and walks allowed (236).

So a principal part of White Sox GM Rick Hahn’s 2015 blueprint was to reboot his bullpen and this three year deal with Zach Duke was the key rebuilding block of that project. Duke immediately becomes manager Robin Ventura‘s #1 bullpen lefty.

Duke, who will be 32 this year, found his stride in Milwaukee last season posting a 1.125 WHIP, a 2.45 ERA, and 74 strikeouts in 58.2 IP– an eye-catching 11.4 SO/9. And his numbers are as good against right-handed hitters as they are against lefties. It didn’t get screaming headlines, but the impact of this signing will loom large by October.

2. Jason Frasor/ RH relief pitcher – re-signed by the Kansas Royals on 11/28/14 to a one year $1.8 million contract (with a mutual option for 2016).

The Kansas City Royals were determined to keep their outstanding 2014 bullpen together and righty Jason Frasor was one of their best finds. The ten year veteran came over from the Texas Rangers in mid-July and he put up a 1.73 ERA for the Royals in 17.2 IP in 23 games. In the 2014 playoffs Frasor went 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA in 5.1 IP proving that he was comfortable on the big stage.

Jason Frasor plays a supporting bullpen role to the Royals dominating threesome of Greg Holland, Wade Davis, and Kelvin Herrera, but that role proved critical. There are no throwaway spots in any quality bullpen and Frasor’s 8.2 SO/9 and 0.962 WHIP in 23 games for Kansas City in 2014 brings additional value to the best bullpen in the game.

When Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane sent his All Star third baseman Josh Donaldson to the Blue Jays there was a universal gasp throughout baseball land. What was Beane blowing up (this time)?

I may regret writing this publicly but I think not only was this a good trade for both teams, I think the Oakland A’s will have gotten the better of this deal two years down the line.

When Oakland received nineteen year old shortstop Franklin Barreto from the Jays he immediately became Oakland’s #2 prospect. Also in the deal were LHP Sean Nolin (now the A’s #8 prospect), RHP Kendall Graveman (now the A’s #9 prospect) , and 25 year old starting third baseman Brett Lawrie.

Lawrie, who was drafted in the first round of the 2008 draft, was Toronto’s most promising young player and Billy Beane expects to have Lawrie’s talent fully bloom in an A’s uniform.

Venezuelan Franklin Barreto has the kind of power and speed that registers rare even for a top prospect. This is a player baseball insiders will keep an eye on throughout his minor league career, and it will be a significant moment when Barreto hits the big leagues.

For the Rays, the key in the deal was getting Oakland’s #1 prospect, twenty-two year old shortstop Daniel Robertson. Robertson has an .807 OPS in 288 minor league games with a .373 OBP. He is another up and coming shortstop with serious extra base hitting talent to go with a great glove. Robertson is the perfect Tampa Bay player– young, wildly talented, and under team control for years.

If everything goes right, there will come a time in two or three years when the American League will feature two of the most talented young shortstops seen in the game in decades: Daniel Robertson and Franklin Barreto.

5. Justin Smoak/ 1B – claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays from the Seattle Mariners 10/28/14; non-tendered by Toronto and re-signed by the Jays for one year at $1 million on 12/3/14.

It’s been a rocky road for Smoak, 28, who was drafted 11th in the first round of the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft by the Texas Rangers. After spending 2010-2014 with the Mariners, Smoak and his .689 OPS hit rock bottom until the Jays decided to take a chance on him.

From 2011 through 2013 Justin Smoak hit 54 home runs for the Mariners so he has power potential, but his -10 Rtot suggests that he will not be winning any gold gloves at first base. But this is the kind of solid risk a pro-active team makes: grab a player loaded with unfilled potential, still in his prime production years, team controlled for two years and see what might happen.

Smoak will platoon at first base for the Jays, but if he finds his groove he could develop into an important run contributor.

Drafted in the 13th round of the 2012 MLB Amateur Draft, Travis was the price Detroit had to pay to get Major League-ready center fielder Anthony Gose from the Blue Jays. Travis, 23, has put up three outstanding season in single A and double A: a solid .876 OPS and .388 OBP.

In 2013 he finished second overall in the minor leagues with 177 hits an a .351 BA.

Devon Travis was the Tigers’ #1 prospect, but is #8 in Toronto’s deeper and more talented minor league pool. Travis looks to be an impact player at the plate and in the field– this could be one of the best trade pick-ups by any team this off-season.

]]>http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/six-middle-of-the-grid-al-moves-that-could-play-big-in-2015.html/feed0Cut-Rate Replacements At Third Base and Left Field Save Giants Millionshttp://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/cut-rate-replacements-at-third-base-and-left-field-save-giants-millions.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cut-rate-replacements-at-third-base-and-left-field-save-giants-millions
http://thegiantscove.com/2015-archives/cut-rate-replacements-at-third-base-and-left-field-save-giants-millions.html#commentsSat, 17 Jan 2015 17:50:06 +0000http://thegiantscove.com/?p=1875With the signing of former Kansas City Royals outfielder free agent Nori Aoki, the San Francisco Giants have now answered two of their top off-season questions: who will replace Pablo Sandoval at third base and who takes over in left field for Michael Morse? Morse and Sandoval were both offered more money to stay in […]]]>

With the signing of former Kansas City Royals outfielder free agent Nori Aoki, the San Francisco Giants have now answered two of their top off-season questions: who will replace Pablo Sandoval at third base and who takes over in left field for Michael Morse?

Morse and Sandoval were both offered more money to stay in San Francisco but politely declined and got out of town quickly. Which left a huge offensive gap on a team that, in 2014, was in the middle third of Major League teams with 665 runs scored.

San Francisco paid Sandoval $8.25 million in 2014, and the marketplace (represented by the Boston Red Sox) bumped that up to $95 million over five years– an average of $19 million a year. The Giants paid Michael Morse $6 million in 2014, and the Miami Marlins signed him for two years at $16 million– $8 million a year.

Together, Pablo Sandoval’s actual 2015 salary of $17.5 million and Morse’s $8 million, would have figuratively cost the Giants $25.5 million this season. By replacing them with much cheaper second-tier players like Casey McGehee ($1.1m) and Nori Aoki ($4m), San Francisco ownership saved $20.4 million.

The Giants also theoretically saved $3.5 million when they re-signed starting pitcher Jake Peavy to a ludicrous two year $24 million contract. Peavy was making $14.5 million in 2014 when the Giants got Peavy from the White Sox in late July, but he’ll make $11 million in 2015 ($7 million and a $4 million signing bonus).

A pro-rated $3.5 million savings on yet another second-tier signing.

The newly signed Nori Aoki, 33 years old, has been on a hitting and power slide since he came to the Milwaukee Brewers in 2012 after eight years in Japan’s Nippon Professional League.

Aoki’s OPS has gone down in each of his three MLB seasons: .787 with 10 HRS in 2012, .726 with 8 HRs in 2013, and .710 with 1 HR in 2014 with the Royals.

Most startling are Aoki’s and McGehee’s home run totals in 2014– Aoki’s 1 HR came in 132 games and 491 ABs; McGehee had 4 home runs in 160 games and 616 ABs. So last season it took Aoki a whopping 491 at bats per home run, while McGehee needed 154 at bats for each of his home runs.

The average for all Major League players in 2014 was 40.7 at bats per home run.

There is little question that Nori Aoki’s glove will greatly improve the Giants’ outfield defense, which suffered under a host of back-ups in 2013, and Michael Morse and a host of back-ups in 2014.

Morse put up an eye-catching -15 Rtot in 2014 (that’s the number of runs above or below average the player was worth base on the number of plays made); Aoki was +1 with Kansas City last year.

As noted in previous articles, McGehee doesn’t remotely have the defensive skills of Pablo Sandoval at third, and is five years older than the Giants former third baseman. Giants pitchers will experience that difference in their infield defense starting Opening Day.

The San Francisco Giants PR machine and local broadcasters will immediately begin to shovel up loads of positive hype about the Aoki and McGehee signings. And no doubt before long the team’s malleable fan base will actually believe the 2015 Giants are somehow better off.

Don’t ask me why, but a large number of San Francisco Giants fans are thrilled when their ownership group (the richest by far in the Majors) doesn’t spend money.

For some reason many Giant fans get giddy when their team signs cut-rate marginal players and turns them into everyday starters. Almost like it’s their money that’s being saved when it’s actually being divided up among the Giants’ billionaire and millionaire ownership group.

For a team that needed serious upgrades to its offense when Pablo Sandoval and Michael Morse were still in the line-up, the additions of McGehee and Aoki are a step backwards in addressing the team’s run scoring needs.

And the team’s starting pitching, the foundation of three recent World Championships, is in even worse shape than the offense.

The hope here? Two possibilities. That San Francisco management gives up the minor league players Philadelphia wants in order to grab Cole Hamels, or they open the franchise vault under 3rd and King Streets and sign either James Shields or Max Scherzer to anchor the starting rotation.